SRI LANKA: INDIA TO DELIVER SUPPLIESTO JAFFNA AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001853 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: INDIA TO DELIVER SUPPLIESTO JAFFNA AT SRI LANKAN REQUEST REF: COLOMBO 819 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Robet O. Blake for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Following a request by the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) that the Government of India (GOI) provide urgent food aid to Jaffna, Indian Acting High Commissioner Manikkam confirmed to DCM on November 7 that the GOI would mobilize to ship supplies from Chennai. This "one-time gift" of 6,800 tons of aid would go to civilians in Jaffna and Muttur and displaced persons in the Batticaloa district, he said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rakapaksa will visit India November 26-29 where, Manikkam noted, the governments of India and Sri Lanka would discuss defense cooperation, economic links, and the political situation. End Summary. India Responds to Critical Shortage -------------- ¶2. (C) The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) November 3 officially sought the assistance of the Government of India (GOI) to provide urgent food, medicine and other essential supplies to the Jaffna peninsula via India's southern coast. According to Jaffna Government Agent K. Ganesh, the peninsula has been in the midst of a severe food shortage since the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) closed the land route to Jaffna in August following a large-scale Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attack on a checkpoint. The LTTE has since refused to provide security guarantees to ships and commercial flights into Jaffna. ¶3. (C) In a November 7 meeting with DCM, Acting Indian High Commissioner Manikkam confirmed that the Government of India (GOI) will provide at no cost 6,800 tons of food (dhaal, sugar, rice and milk powder) to Sri Lanka within the next ten to twenty days. A ship sailing from Chennai will deliver approximately 5,500 tons to Jaffna before proceeding to Trincomalee to deliver the remaining aid to Muslim communities in Muttur and displaced persons (IDPs) in Vaharakai, Batticaloa district. The security of an Indian-flagged supply ship, Manikkam contended, would be guaranteed even without an official LTTE commitment. ¶4. (C) Manikkam noted the importance of highlighting to the Sri Lankan public that India was providing the food aid only at the request of the GSL. "Otherwise," he said, "it revives memories of India's forced food drops in 1987. We must be very careful not to portray ourselves as interfering in Sri Lanka's internal issues." Background: If by Sea or Land -------------- ¶5. (C) Military engagement between GSL security forces and the LTTE has cut off the Jaffna peninsula from regular food and supply shipments since August, leading to a critical shortage. The government closed the A9 highway connecting Jaffna to Kandy through the LTTE-controlled Vanni area at the Muhamalai forward defense line (FDL) on August 11. Since then, the LTTE has refused to grant safe passage to ships carrying the flags of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) or the UN, demanding the reopening of the A9. (Note: The LTTE revoked security assurances to the ICRC after one passenger-supply run in late August.) The GSL has operated an infrequent supply and passenger chain by naval escort, and has sent limited supplies to Jaffna on military flights. Commercial flights between Jaffna and Colombo resumed bi-weekly November 4, but lack the security guarantee of the LTTE. ¶6. (C) LTTE spokesman Daya Master told the press November 4 that the Tigers would support only the A9 supply route to Jaffna, stating, "Without opening the A9, peace talks will not move forward." The LTTE objects to the cutting off of COLOMBO 00001853 002 OF 002 several hundred thousand dollars of tax revenue collected each month by the Tigers from trucks traveling through the Vanni. Bandula Jayasekara, editor of the government-run Daily News, told poloff November 2 that the LTTE has not been able to pull "weekend cadres" from Jaffna into the Vanni for military training since the closure of the checkpoint. Acting Indian High Commissioner Speculates on A9 -------------- --- ¶7. (C) Manikkam pondered the LTTE's insistence that the A9 be reopened and the GSL's refusal to do so. In August, LTTE artillery from Pooneryn (the LTTE-controlled area parallel to the southern part of the Jaffna peninsula) had damaged the Palali airport and throughout the spring the LTTE challenged the Sri Lanka Navy's supply route to Jaffna by sea, Mannikam pointed out. By closing the A9 highway, Manikkam contended, "The SLA is saying, you've cut my supply line, now I'll cut yours. There are hidden reasons for their obstinacy, and these maneuvers won't bring peace." Indians to Discuss Defense, Politics with GSL -------------- ¶8. (C) Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rakapaksa has announced plans to travel to New Delhi November 26-29 where he will meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and address a conference of Asian mayors in Dehra Dun. Acting High Commissioner Manikkam told DCM that the heads of state will focus on defense cooperation, economic links, and the "political situation," i.e., Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict. ¶9. (C) Manikkam stressed that India supports the Sri Lankan military only defensively. He mentioned India's provision to the GSL of "defensive" military equipment, such as explosive detection dogs, and training programs, which include joint exercises and the training of 400 Special Protection Force commandos for diplomatic VIPs. He noted that detection dogs had discovered several truckloads of LTTE explosives but that "we don't expect Colombo to be targeted" at this juncture. ¶10. (C) On economic cooperation, Manikkam said the Government of India (GOI) and the GSL are pursuing an enhanced free trade agreement. ¶11. (C) Manikkam expressed concern over the Sri Lanka Supreme Court's October ruling against the merger of the North and East provinces. He described the de-merger as a major setback which has "strengthened the LTTE by demonstrating that the GSL can't be trusted." ¶12. (C) Post will report by septel on the Ambassador's November 7 meeting with Presidential Advisor Lalith Weeratunga on GSL efforts to supply food and other commodities to Jaffna. Only at the Request of the GSL -------------- ¶13. (C) Comment: Expediting aid to Jaffna via Sri Lanka's large and powerful neighbor makes perfect logistical and economic sense and will help to temporarily defuse an incipient controversy over a UN resupply effort by sea. At the same time, the Charge's comments make clear that India remains sensitive to potential charges that India's provision of aid opens the door to claims by both the Tamil and Sinhalese sides that India is again meddling in Sri Lanka's internal affairs. BLAKE